thomas



'aum-oms. METHOD 0F BUTTLING MINERAL WATERS.. No. 65,842. PatentedJune 18, 1867.

fd@ fr nf' giants stfnt @frn 4ennemis H. THOMAS; oF PniLDELPHIs, PENNSYLVANIA. Lener', Patent No. 65,842, and Jut., 18, 1861.

IMPROVBD METHOD 0F BUI'LING MINERAL WATERS.

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Be it known that I,- C. H. THOMAS, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsyl` vania, have invented certain new and useful improvements iu Bottling Mineral Waters under pressure and I (lo hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, like letters indicating like parts wherever they occur. To enable others skilled in the ai-t to construct and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

l My invention consists in bottling water from mineral springs under pressure, so as to retain the largest possible amount of gas in the water, and at the same time prevent it from coming in contact with the atmosphere. The drawings represent several plans of accomplishing this result, and also a plan for more thoroughly impregnating the water with gas, as hereinafter explained. u

As is well known, the virtue of water obtained from mineral springs or wells consists principally inthe gases contained in the water, together with the chemical matter held insolutiou. When exposed to the action of the atmosphere the gases escape, and the chemicals held in solution are separated and form a deposit at the bottom, giving to the water a. iltby and disagreeable appearance, and greatly impairing its medicinal qualities.V Hence itis an object to bottle it without permitting it to come in contact with the atmosphere.

It is also well known that the amount of gas held in solution by the water is in proportion to the pressure on the water and its temperature, that the amount of gas contained in the Vwater increases in proportion to the depth from the surface, and also insproportion to the coldness of the water, end that hence it is an object to, draw the water for bottling from the greatest possible depth in the well, and where it is.` the coldest. It is also an'objett to draw and bottle the water under the 'greatest possible amount of pressure, for the reason that in proportion as the pressure is removed the gas expands and decreases in quantity in proportion to the bulli of the water contained in a given space, and also escapes more readily therefrom. l

In Figure 1, A represents a mineral well or spring into which I insert a tube, having its lower open end l reaching to near the bottom. P represents a pit dug in the earth to some depth below the surface, into which the upper portion of tube b enters as represented, the tube being provided with a stop-cock and a nozzle toiit the mouth of bottles. It will be obvious that when water is drawn through the tube b it will be drawn direct from the bottom of the well, and under a, hydrostatic pressure equal to the heightnfithe water -in the well above the discharge point of tube b. By lowcringthe pit the pressure may be increased to any desired'exteut, wherever the formation of the ground renders this method practicable. In order to breakup the globules of gas, and more intimately mingle it with the water, I secure a finely-perforated diaphragm, o, made of porcelain, glass, or other non-corrosible material, in vor near the bottom of the well, as represented inthe drawings. I

Figure 2 represents the same plan, with an arrangement for adding to the pressure on the water'. In this case, A represents the well with the supply pipe inserted as before, and extending up and connecting with a cask E, there being a, force-pump, f, applied at any suitable point to the pipe b, for forcing the water from the well up in to the vessel E, which is supplied with a pipe and cock h for illiug bottles therefrom. The vessel E is connected by a pipe, g, with another similar vessel, F, which lutter is connected by a pipe, {,:with a reservoir, R, placed atany desired height above the vessels E andF. By this arrangement it will be seen that water will b'e t," drawn from the lowerpart of the well, where it is cool, and highly charged with gas, und that 'it will flow from the cock Il, under a hydrostatic pressure equal or dueto the height of the duid in the reservoir above the discharge pipe h. It is obvious that a discharge-cock may be applied to the pipe b in the pit P, and the water drawn therefrom', without or with the pressure of the column in the reservoir above.

In Figure 3 another modicution of plan is shown. In this cese no pit is used, the supply pipe b extending 4from near the bottom ofthe well, and connecting on the surface with a tank, T, of anyV desired height, there being a force-pump, f, applied at any suitable pointV to the pi; 'b, for forcing the water from the bottom of r the well up into the tank 'l'. C represents an air-chamber for causing a.A regular and continuous flow of the water into the tank, through the pipe b and to prevent the air Vin the chamber C from coming into contact with the water as it passes through the chamber. I place within the chamber C a flexible lining or bag, e, the air in the chamber boing outside of this bag or lining, which thus permits thenir in the chamber to exert its full pressure on the water, without coming in direct conta-ct therewith. A tube with n. cock., u, should be applied to the top of the tank to permit the escape of air therefrom, while being filled in thefirst instance. discharge pipe, Z, with suitablecocks and nozzles is applied to the bottomof the tank, for drawing the witter into bottles or other vessels.

In many localities large quantities of thc gas are constantly rising from the springs, or from` tlreearth in their vicinity, and escaping into the atmosphere. For the purpose of utilizing this waste gas, I propose'to build over the places where it escapes gasometers or receivers to catch and hold this ges, or in any other. practicable manner to gather it into a. suitable reservoir, from whence I force it by nienns of suitable pumps either into the tank from which the water is drawn, or into the` bottom of the well, as represented in fig. 3, for the purpose of more strongly charging cr impregnating the water with the gas; By :t suitable arrangement the bottles themselves may be filled with the gas, so as to displace the-.air therefrom before filling them with the water. These various plans will be varied according to circumstances, the idea. being in all cases to take the water from the lowest practicable point in the well, and to convey it into the receiving vessel under pressure, so as to retain the greatest possible amount of pressure, and to exclude it as far as possible from Contact with the atmosphere.

Having thus described my invention, what claim, is-

1. Bottling or drawing water from mineral wells or springs under pressure, substantially as described.

2. claim taking the water from a. point in the well or spring below the` point of discharge, substantially as described.

3. I claim the use in a. mineral well or spring of theperforated diaphragm a, as herein set forth.

4. I claim the charging of mineral Waters with an extrasupply of gas, either in the Well or in the tank, substantially es herein described.

CHAS. H. THOMAS. Witnesses:

Q. L. THOMAS,

W. C. Denen. 

